The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-12
MA RRlAG EsSOF iNKYF0Lk
THE IDEA Or THEIE UNTI APPINEsS
DISPROVED.

THE IDEA Or THEIE t5NTIAPPINESS
DISPROVED.
Notabie Instances to the Contrary
Domestic Poets, Essayists and Biog-
raphers- Erroneous Report Of James
Russell Lowel's Engagement - DR..
Holmes Habit Of Staying at Home.
From the Chicago Tribune.
The prevalent idea that literary mar
riages are generally inharmonious is not
sustained by American examples certainly.
Longfellow was as much poet in his life
as in his profession. He was the embodi-
ment of gentleness and sympathy, and so
considerate of everybody's feelings that he
allowed himself, as his biographer recounts,
to be overrun with charlatans and bores.
Cambridge, where he lived most of his life,
is full of echoes of his kindly words and
deeds, and his memory is treasured there
by every mature inhabitant. His career
was specially serene and compensatory
with one exception, and that
which was never lifted The exception was
the loss of his wife, a lovely and accom-
plished woman-she had been Miss Appleton
whose light garments, while dressing for
an evening party, caught fire, and she was
SO badly burned that she died in a few hours
in great agony. The distressing casualty
was an ineXpressible sorrow to the poet.
He never recovered from it, it lent to his
work that air of pensive resignation and
placid melancholy which constitute no little
of its charm He never referred to it, and
it was very painful for others to mention
it in his presence. He bore his bereave-
ment like philosopher, outwardly, but in
h oarf lona tnl i
power of healing. AS father he was, after
the blow had fallen, perhaps even tenderer,
more devoted than before. His children al
ways loved and revered him, finding in him
many of the qualities which the mother had
possessed. His friends often thought he
would marry again, for he counted among
his intimates number of fine, attractive
women. But love like his once given, is
not apt to be given again.
Lowell has been enormously reported as
engaged to lady in England, where he is
spending the summer. 1t is said that there
was no basis whatever for the report, though
such stories are likely to be circulated about
men of his prominence who are as great
favorites in society as he is in London His
private opinion probably is that he who is a
widower for the second time at 6S would
better remain such. His first wife Maria
White) was as beautiful and charming in
mind as in person. She died nine years after
her marriage, and she is still remembered by
elderly persons as one of the rarest speci-
mems of complete and exquisite womanhood.
A volume of her poems, remarkable for deli
cate favor and delightful suggestiveness,
was printed privately some years after her
death, and the poems are not infreQuently
quoted to this day at Cambridge. The sec
ond Mrs. Lowell was an invalid much of
her life, and yielded to her broken constitu-
ton and delicate health while her husband
Mfair 70 flNa 1f
The delightful critic and the poets only
child is Mrs. Burnett, of scarborough,
Mass, where he spent much of his time be-
fore going abroad lately, his Cambridge
home having been leased for term of
years. Despite his brilliant social talents
and numberless close friendships, he has al
ways been attached to his own fireside and
the companions of early days.
DR.. Holmes is another poet and essayist
of exceeding geniality and aniiability, whose
best beloved deities are the Iares and Pen
ates. He has always been home body, not
having been abroad until his late trip to
Europe, for more than fifty years, the first
visit being for the purpose of pursuing his
medical studies. He is a Bostonian of the
immediate vicinity of his birth. But he is
as broad and liberal as need be, and still
youth in feeling, despite his seven and
seventy years. His marriage was of the
happiest, and has continued so. Who does
not remember his capital essay in the
Atlantic, "My Search After the Captain"
describing his hunt for his wounded
son in the army of the Potomaca
And how they met unexpectedly on
the train with How are you, boyp' "How
dye do, dad?" His daughter accompanied
him abroad last year, and took the best care
of him, mindful that he did not see to many
persons did not talk too much, or overdo in
Tla% Cal
what loving children! The little doctors
domestic life has been from the outset al
most idyllic. No irritability, no discomfort,
no wrangleS for him indoors OF out. The
stream of years flows ever smoothly and
brightly, no brawling rocks TO disturb the
current, no shadows, no treacherous pools,
no quicksands. His destiny has been as soft
as his lays, as beautiful as his thoughts.
Precious few poets have had experiences so
nearly ideal.
Parke Goodwin, now past 70, married the
daughter of William Cullen Bryant almost
fifty years ago, and has followed letters and
the peaceful life of home ever since. He and
his father-in-aw were long associated on the
New York Erening Post, and he has peri
odically published literary, and political es-
says, translations from the German, expla-
nations of the doctrines of Charles Fourier,
biographies, etc. His health has not been
very good for some time; but apart from
that, his friends think him indolent, which
may be looked for in a man pecuniarily in
dependent. Doubtless, if he had felt obliged
to work, he would have been more active
literarily, and produced larger number of
clever books. Whether mentally indolent
or not, he has been industrious in winning
and preserving the affections of his family.
Between himself and his two sons who are
connected with the New York Commercial
Advertiser, in which he holds large inter-
est, very cordial and sympathetic relation
exists.
The late Bayard Taylor married very
young, before he had gained any reputation.
His wife died within year, and for good
while heseemed, as do all men of distinction
who decline matrimonial entanglements to
be insensible to feminine charms. Generally
supposed to be u bachelor being handsome,
gifted, an admired author, and a popular
lecturer, he was constantly urged by friends
and acquaintance to take wife. Many
men in similar circumstances have under
gone similar experience, and know that
the assumed interest in their welfare, OH the
point of wedlock, soon becomes great an
noyance. Taylor found it such bore that
he printed something on the subject, adj
dressed particularly to his solicitous but un-
known correspondents. Therein he declared
that he was not an ideal or fantastic crea-
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